15 hilarious buddy cop comedies

Comedian Kevin Hart (left) and rapper-turned-actor Ice Cube (right) bring an energized new addition to the buddy cop comedy genre with their latest film, “Ride Along.” The film features a quirky partnership between Ben Barber (Hart), a fast-talking security guard, who wants to impress his soon to be brother-in-law, Detective Payton (Ice Cube), by joining him on patrol duties. Laurence Fishburne and John Leguizamo also star in this humorous action comedy.

In honor of Hart and Ice Cube’s latest venture, check out these 15 other hilarious buddy cop comedies.
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Based on the ’80s crime television series that featured a young Johnny Depp, the silver screen adaptation of “21 Jump Street” was a surprising hit among audiences when it was released in 2012. “Magic Mike” hunk Channing Tatum (left) and funny man Jonah Hill (right) were cast as the film’s unlikely protagonists, a pair of undercover officers who pose as high schoolers to stop an outbreak of a new synthetic drug. The odd couple produced many memorable and humorous moments, including a climactic shootout that featured one of the television series’ original cast members.
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Macall Polay/Columbia Pictures

‘The Other Guys’ (2010)

Director Adam McKay’s 2010 action comedy, “The Other Guys,” was a huge box office success, mostly because of the hilarious police duo played by Will Ferrell (left) and Mark Wahlberg. Unlike his usual off-the-wall comedic roles, Ferrell takes a turn as a mild mannered forensic accountant named Detective Gamble, who’s thrust into the field thanks to his hot-headed partner, Detective Hoitz, played by Wahlberg. In addition to this hilarious pair, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, Samuel L. Jackson, Michael Keaton, and Eva Mendes also bring the laughs in this hit comedy.
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Rogue Pictures

‘Hot Fuzz’ (2007)

Comedians Nick Frost (left) and Simon Pegg gave the buddy cop comedy genre a humorous British twist with their 2007 flick, “Hot Fuzz.” The film was a hit among critics, reuniting Frost and Pegg after their successful 2004 comedy “Shaun of the Dead.” The pair has also put out such hilarious hits as 2011’s “Paul” and 2013’s “The World’s End.”
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John Bramley/Warner Brothers Pictures

‘Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang’ (2005)

Iron Man and Batman teaming up to fight crime? Well, sort of. 2005’s “Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang” featured “Iron Man” star Robert Downey Jr. (left) as a would be thief who joins former “Batman Forever” star Val Kilmer, a gay private investigator, in looking into a murder. The Shane Black directed film also stars Michelle Monaghan and Corbin Bernsen.
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Melinda Sue Gordon

‘Starsky & Hutch’ (2004)

Another movie remake of a classic television show, comedians Ben Stiller (left) and Owen Wilson starred in the 2004 silver screen adaptation of “Starsky & Hutch.” The film was a smash hit at the box office, and also featured a terrific supporting cast including names such as Vince Vaughn, Snoop Dogg, Jason Bateman, Will Ferrell, Patton Oswalt and more. The original Starsky and Hutch (Paul Michael Glaser and David Soul) also make a cameo in the film.
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Sony Pictures/Reuters

‘White Chicks’ (2004)

Marlon (left) and Shawn Wayans’s 2004 buddy cop comedy may not have went over well with critics, but the silly flick does have a few humorous moments — particularly the scenes between Terry Crews and Marlon Wayans. The film places the comedic brothers in whiteface drag, as the two play FBI agents who go undercover as fictional celebrity debutants in order to stop a series of socialite kidnappings. The far-fetched story has enough funny scenes to keep you laughing despite its otherwise forgettable plot.
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Nicola Goode/Associated Press

‘National Security’ (2003)

While not as action packed as his other buddy cop film “Bad Boys,” Martin Lawrence (left) is still able to bring the laughs in the 2003 comedy “National Security.” Lawrence plays a police academy reject who teams up with a LAPD officer turned security guard named Hank Rafferty (Steve Zahn) as they attempt to take down a smuggling operation. The film isn’t the best buddy cop comedy out there, but the humorous interactions between Lawrence and Zahn are worth the watch.
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Warner Bros. Pictures via Reuters

‘Osmosis Jones’ (2001)

Chris Rock stars in this 2001 animated comedy as the film’s title character, Osmosis “Ozzy” Jones, an overzealous blue and white blood cell that patrols the body of Frank Detorre, played by Bill Murray. As an evil virus threatens to kill Frank, Ozzy pairs with a cold pill named Drix (David Hyde Pierce) as they attempt to keep their human host alive. The humorous animated flick featured a star studded cast, including the likes of William Shatner, Ron Howard, Laurence Fishburne and more.
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Actors Will Smith (left) and Tommy Lee Jones join forces to stop a menacing alien invader in the 1997 comedy “Men in Black.” The veteran officer/rookie cop dynamic is in full effect in this sci-fi flick, with Smith’s bombastic personality acting as a perfect foil to Jones’s no nonsense attitude. The film received two sequels, with the addition of actor Josh Brolin as a younger Jones in 2012’s “Men in Black 3.”
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The Boston Globe/File

‘Turner & Hooch’ (1989)

Before he was fighting off pirates in “Captain Phillips,” Academy Award-winner Tom Hanks was tracking down killers as officer Scott Turner in the 1989 comedy “Turner & Hooch.” Hanks plays an overly neat investigator who’s life is turned upside down when he’s forced to take care of a Dogue de Bordeaux dog named Hooch, the lone “witness” to murder Turner is investigating. The film was set to be turned into a television series, but only a pilot was ever created.
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The Boston Globe/File

‘Tango & Cash’ (1989)

When you think of buddy cop comedies, action stars like Kurt Russell (left) and Sylvester Stallone (right) usually aren’t the first names that come to mind. However, the unlikely duo was paired together in the 1989 comedy flick “Tango & Cash.” While the film’s generic plot was otherwise forgettable, seeing these two ’80s stars try to put on their comedy shoes alone is worth the watch.
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The Boston Globe/File

‘Beverly Hills Cop’ (1984)

After hitting it big with “48 Hrs.,” Murphy became a mainstay of the buddy comedy genre over the course of his career. One of Murphy’s most notable roles was as Detective Axel Foley in the “Beverly Hills Cop” series. The comedian would again earn a Golden Globes Award nomination as well as a nomination at the 1985 Academy Awards.
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The Boston Globe/File

‘48 Hrs.’ (1982)

Starring comedian Eddie Murphy (right) and star Nick Nolte, “48 Hrs.” is considered by many to be one of the first — and best — buddy cop comedies to hit the silver screen. The film set many of the standard conventions for the buddy cop genre, such as the pairing of partners with polar opposite personalities as well as blending high flying action with side splitting comedy. The 1982 film was also Murphy’s cinematic debut, which earned him a Golden Globe Award nomination that year.
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